Since 2013, Wasatch Backcountry Alliance (WBA) has worked to protect backcountry terrain and access in the Central Wasatch, while representing the backcountry community with land mangers and stakeholders.
Our mission: Wasatch Backcountry Alliance is the recognized voice for the backcountry community involved in human-powered winter recreation in the Central Wasatch Mountains. We represent a unified voice to media, partners, elected officials, and the general public. We focus on providing advocacy to support our causes, and serve as a central information venue for related topics. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Ongoing Projects
Trailhead Counting Program
WBA’s winter trailhead counter project provides the first-ever long-term record of non-motorized winter recreational use in the Central Wasatch. For years we’ve all heard variations of opinion on how many more people there are in the backcountry these days. What our data can do is to give us numbers – not perfect, but better than nothing which was the only information available before this project began. WBA’s all-volunteer project collects user numbers from infrared counters at fifteen sites in Millcreek, Big Cottonwood, and Little Cottonwood Canyons from December 1 to May 1.
Backcountry Shuttle
In response to the congestion cluster, pay-to-play, and restricted early morning parking situation in upper LCC, we created a Saturday Shuttle service to help backcountry users access prized areas like Grizzly Gulch, Superior, the Emma’s, and Wolverine Cirque. Since 2016, WBA partnered with Utah Mountain Shuttles to put on an Annual Free Shuttle Day to help bring awareness to transportation issues and provide examples of how existing infrastructure and technology can be part of the solution. Thanks to funding support from the Central Wasatch Commission, we can offer this service every Saturday through the winter season. After a successful first season in LCC during the 2021/2022, we were able to expand and offer the shuttle in both BCC and LCC as of the 2022/2023 season.
The Uptrack Podcast
In the height of COVID, we hosted digital roundtable discussions that we turned into podcasts called “The Uptrack” which focused on Transportation Solutions for Little Cottonwood Canyon. The goal was to answer our questions associated with the UDOT EIS proposals and share them with the community. WBA is planning to bring back regular podcasts to help share information within the community. Listen to our original episodes here, and stay tuned for new episodes this season by subscribing to our email list.
Parking Issues
As we all know, backcountry touring many times begins at or near the ski resorts or private communities, and there have been big changes to the parking programs at each resort that will undoubtedly affect backcountry users as well. We have been actively working with highway managers, the resorts, the Utah Department of Transportation, and the Forest Service to ensure backcountry access is still allowed.
In Little Cottonwood Canyon, we are focusing our efforts on parking in upper Little Cottonwood within the Town of Alta and Alta Ski Area’s parking, as well as parking challenges at White Pine. In Big Cottonwood Canyon, we are focusing on parking issues near Argenta and Beartrap.
Proposed LCC Gondola
We’ve been actively engaged in transportation discussions in the Cottonwood Canyons and continue to emphasize that these are connected systems, where changes in one canyon impact the others. While Utah Department of Transportation has advanced a phased plan that could eventually include a gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon, we remain opposed to that proposal.
Instead, we are working with a range of stakeholders to support alternative transit solutions that improve access without building new infrastructure, while also participating in ongoing efforts to stop the proposed gondola.
General Advocacy, etc.
- Engage in meetings with mayors, resort managers, the Forest Service, UDOT, the Central Wasatch Commission, as well as congressional & local representatives to make sure backcountry interests are represented.
- Host Powder Parties, WBA member events, and member meetings as part of our WBA Membership.
- Communicate through media outlets to promote the importance of backcountry terrain in the Wasatch.
- Maintain community outreach and education through social media, our website blog, and email newsletters.
- Lead Stop Interconnect & Stop ONE Wasatch campaigns, as well as aiding efforts to save Bonanza Flats.
Learn more about our accomplishments in our annual reports:
Recent Accomplishments
Mill Creek Canyon Winter Shuttle Pilot
Launched February 2026
We introducing a free, Saturday-only shuttle pilot in Mill Creek Canyon. While transit planning often overlooks this area, WBA is stepping in to fill a critical gap. Although the Central Wasatch Commission is working on a multi-year shuttle proposal, their current plans lack winter service—a necessity given this season’s limited parking near the Winter Gate due to FLAP grant construction.
Supported by funding from the Central Wasatch Commission and a permit from the Forest Service, our pilot collects essential data on rider demand, activity types, and dog usage to show a “proof of demand” needed to secure permanent, year-round “transit to trails” for Mill Creek Canyon.
Brighton Town Ordinance
Completed November 2025
In the fall of 2025, WBA helped advocate to the Town of Brighton Council who unanimously passed Ordinance OAM2025-001431. This critical policy maps ski resort boundaries to their existing footprints, providing a responsible framework for future development in the Central Wasatch. By securing these boundaries, the ordinance helps protect sensitive areas—specifically resort-owned lands in Silver Fork, Guardsman, and Old Stage Road—from unchecked expansion.
Throughout this process, WBA worked in close coordination with Save Our Canyons and Winter Wildlands Alliance, providing public comments, producing an educational podcast, and engaging directly with council members to advocate for the measure. We applaud the Town of Brighton for enacting this balanced policy, which is a vital step toward preserving the unique mountain character and backcountry access we all cherish.
Cardiff Fork Access
Completed July 2025
Public access in Cardiff Fork is guaranteed for the next 10 years as of 7/10/2025! After more than a year and a half of behind-the-scenes work, the future of one of the Wasatch’s most iconic backcountry zones is no longer in limbo.
We were grateful that Cardiff Canyon Owners Association (CCOA) granted public access up the road, even before they received motorized access, and for their continued collaboration and transparency throughout the process.
This work takes persistence, relationship building, and local advocacy, the kind that WBA specializes in. We attended regular meetings. We negotiated. We reviewed permit drafts. We pushed back when needed. We built trust. And through months of collaboration with CCOA and the Forest Service, we’ve restored access up Cardiff Fork! We will continue to work with CCOA.
Spruces Roadside Parking
Completed December 2024
During the 2022-2023 season, many backcountry users were surprised and frustrated to see new “No Parking” signs installed along the south side of the road near the Spruces trailhead—a long-utilized access point for backcountry users. This change significantly reduced available parking and limited access to popular terrain.
WBA worked closely with UDOT to revisit these restrictions, resulting in UDOT updating the signage and removing all but two “No Parking” signs. Now, only one sign remains on each side of the Spruces lot entrance to preserve visibility and safety, effectively reopening much of the roadside parking we rely on.
While there’s still work ahead to protect and improve access across the Central Wasatch, this is an important step forward—and a direct result of sustained advocacy and behind-the-scenes advocacy work with stakeholders in the Central Wasatch, such as UDOT.
Dawn Patrol Parking in BCC
Completed November 2023
Working with the Town of Brighton and Interstate Parking, we negotiated more parking opportunities for dispersed users accessing public lands in BCC. We secured 20 early morning parking spots: 10 near Solitude Entry 2 (USA Bowl access) and 10 spots near Solitude Entry 1 (Silver Fork access). Twenty is better than none, which would have been the case if WBA had not provided feedback to the Town of Brighton. While not all of our wishes were granted, we were pleased that early morning parking reservations were implemented and worked well.
We would like to negotiate an earlier start time to improve dawn patrol and dispersed recreation opportunities. WBA was able to quantify the popularity and importance of these zones for backcountry users thanks to our winter Trail Counting Program!
History
2013
Harness Passion & Stop SkiLink
Wasatch Backcountry Alliance was founded in 2013 by a small group of passionate backcountry skiers. Our friend at Winter Wildlands Alliance, Mark Menlove, recognized an opportunity to form a group to give a voice to the backcountry and winter human-powered recreation in the Wasatch. Mark harnessed the momentum and called a meeting of folks that he thought would be interested. The founding board members included: Jamie Kent, Brad Rutledge, Tom Diegel (still active board members), Noah Howell, Brad Barlage, Jenny Sontagg, Julia Geisler, Mark Menlove, and Andrew McLean.
An important issue at the time was SkiLink: a proposal to connect the Solitude in Big Cottonwood Canyon to The Canyons (now Park City Mountain Resort) in Park City via a gondola on public lands. Many of the founding board members were deeply involved with stopping SkiLink, as this would be a detriment to the surrounding backcountry terrain. The date the SkiLink concept officially died is a bit of a grey area, however, WBA played a role alongside the community at large.
The Stop SkiLink movement, which led to the formation of WBA was critical. It created resistance – and especially organized resistance, to protect the mountains we call home.
2013-2014
Mountain Accord
Even back in 2013, everyone was fighting for a different future for the Central Wasatch. WBA knew the importance of engaging in this process, so the voice of the backcountry users would be heard. The Mountain Accord was formed out of a group of citizens, elected leaders, BCC and LCC ski resort managers, transportation officials, private property owners, recreation and environmental groups, and other stakeholders. The goal was to develop a plan for how the Central Wasatch mountains should be managed, with the environment, recreation, transportation, and the economy as the four focal points. WBA became involved to try and help stop ONE Wasatch and ensure backcountry users were considered a stakeholder in the future of the Central Wasatch.
Working with the Mountain Accord, WBA poured hours of volunteer time into helping develop the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area (CWNCRA). The goal of this bill was to conserve the integrity of our watershed and recreation. It would also lock in resort boundaries and legally protect backcountry terrain under a similar umbrella of a “wilderness” designation. The CWNCRA relied on land exchanges between the US Forest Service and ski resorts in the cottonwoods. While this process was very much an exercise in compromise, one of the exchanges we were most excited about was Grizzly Gulch.
2014
ONE Wasatch
Unfortunately, threats to the local backcountry didn’t stop with SkiLink. In 2014, Ski Utah introduced a similar proposal, ONE Wasatch. This plan would connect the five ski resorts in the Central Wasatch with chair lifts or gondolas. Park City and Canyons had merged under Vail’s hand at this point and thus made one of the connections. This proposal was carefully crafted so that connections would happen primarily on private lands leased or owned by resorts. If such a plan were to happen, it would significantly erode the finite backcountry terrain that is already wedged between existing development in our mountains.
Supporters of this “interconnect” proposal argued that it would make Utah an international ski destination. News flash- we already were and remain so! We channeled our efforts into trying to protect Grizzly Gulch- the cornerstone terrain that “interconnect” relied on.
2014-2016
Upper LCC & Grizzly Gulch
A substantial portion of the Mountain Accord attempted to settle land use with potential compromises of finalizing resort boundaries on public land in the Cottonwoods, and thereby keep places where we recreate in the backcountry safe from further development encroachment.
WBA, along with community partners, spent countless hours in the focus groups of Mountain Accord, and it became clear that Grizzly Gulch (GG) is hotly sought after by both the public, and Alta Ski Lifts (ASL). So hot actually, that ASL and negotiators could not reach an agreement to keep lift proposal options out of the drainage. This resulted in ASL and some others not signing the Accord, thereby making it largely ineffectual.
In addition, it was revealed through negotiations that ASL’s additional motivation beyond a GG chairlift is for another lift to be built to the top of Patsy Marley from within current resort boundaries.
ASL acquired large tracts of private land in GG dating back to the late 1990s, and it became incorporated into the Town of Alta (TOA) in the early 2000s. It’s clear that ASL owners had a vision to expand their resort boundaries and connect to Big Cottonwood many decades ago. However, there remain multiple smaller tracts of US Forest Service (public) land in the drainage – which means FS approval of resort expansion onto public lands is needed to put a lift in Grizzly Gulch. The current FS Plan does not allow for this. But this is a precarious position – as the plan could be changed through administrative methods.
GG is the highest and snowiest trailhead in the Central Wasatch and offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced terrain. It also is the gateway to multiple Big Cottonwood drainages of Twin Lakes Pass, Mt Wolverine, and Silver Fork. It is also contiguous with the iconic Emma Ridge – much of which is owned by ASL and Snowbird.
ASL currently and historically operates under a Special Use Permit (SUP) from the USFS for avalanche mitigation on Patsy Marley for resort operations, and in GG for their Snowcat operations. A chairlift installation in either of these locations would be detrimental to any and all human-powered winter recreation in the mentioned sites plus the surrounding ones.
WBA will continue to keep a watchful eye on GG and Upper LCC because it offers incredible access to terrain and snow quality that few other locations can match. With that, however, comes many other motivations for further development. The proposed LCC gondola, and thereby an extension to Solitude or Brighton being driven by the resort industry, remains unwavering as well.
Although the CWNCRA had been whittled down to a piecemeal package without important land exchanges, the bill was still introduced by Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) in 2016, but it did not make it out of committee. A fifth draft of the legislation was released in October 2020 and has yet to be reintroduced.
Other goals of the Mountain Accord included: transportation improvements in the Cottonwoods and Parleys Canyons; piloting a Millcreek shuttle; developing comprehensive trail and cycling plans, developing an environmental dashboard, developing programs for acquiring private lands for environmental and recreation values, and identifying long-term funding for programs and systems in the Central Wasatch. These agreements were formalized when the Mountain Accord Charter was signed in July 2015. WBA was actively engaged, making sure the backcountry community had a seat at the table.
2016-current
CWC & UDOT
In 2016, the Mountain Accord dissolved and the Central Wasatch Commission (CWC) was created as a government entity to carry the torch. Most of the stakeholders from the Mountain Accord continued their involvement under the CWC. One of the participating agencies in the Mountain Accord was the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), logically so, since transportation was one of four areas of focus. However, in 2018, UDOT announced its plan to conduct an independent Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in Little Cottonwood Canyon to determine what transportation solution would be best. This stemmed from the state legislature funding transportation projects that impact tourism and recreation, and LCC was ranked as a “top-priority” area. Little Cottonwood Canyon is home to world-class backcountry terrain with unparalleled access. Since UDOT announced its quest for a transit solution, WBA has directed much of our focus to this issue. Simultaneously, we have been juggling other projects to protect backcountry terrain and access.